The Drugajanje Festival is rooted in the desire to reach beyond the borders of Ljubljana, beyond the centre of Slovenia, and beyond the regular audience with contemporary performing arts, as well as the desire to engage with high school students, to present relevant, bold and interesting performances that may broaden their perspective on art and encourage exploration of new topics together. The festival is also aims to engage with the wider local community while working closely with secondary schools, a task which can be much more challenging than it initially seems.
These two realities seem to exist in opposite time zones, which is ultimately reflected in this year’s Drugajanje schedule, full of matinees. Despite the early afternoon slots, we will delve into topics and connections that can be brought to light precisely by the freedom of theatre, which exists at the intersection of fiction and reality. 

The documentary performance Girls by Tjaša Črnigoj and Kolektiv Igralke (SI, HR) will weave the thread from the past to the present of the not-so-distant feminist struggles for bodily autonomy and decision-making freedom. The real-life incident of a loud bang from a gunshot in a fictional (theatrical) situation still echoes in Jasna Žmak’s ears, providing the theme for her performance this is my truth, tell me yours (SI, HR), while in Leon Marič’s performance, Kiss me (SI), the pozvačin from the folk tradition becomes a symbol for questions about one’s own identity. We will navigate the feelings of everyday life with the concert Now I can get the fuck out of here,  now I can go (SI), which features a diverse range of co-creators that transcends the boundaries of a typical concert, and perhaps arrive back home in Francesco Scavetta’s Nowhere Like Here (SE, PL, RO, HU, HR, SI)

This year, the festival is also marked by a special local programme segment – EXTENDED DRUGAJANJE, created in collaboration with KUD 567, a member of the Art Quarter (U4) in Celje. The programme features Luka Piletič’s performance Under Control, an afternoon of slam poetry – Impro kozarec and slamCE, in collaboration with high school slam poets, and an evening of poetry titled The World Stands Still, Each Time the Best, Each Time the Worst So Far, with Veronika Award winner Natalija Milovanović, accompanied by music and dance.